Imran Riaz Khan

Last updated

Imran Riaz Khan
عمران ریاض خان
Imran Riaz Khan - December 2023.jpg
Khan in December 2023
Born (1975-08-14) 14 August 1975 (age 48) [1]
Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan
NationalityPakistani
Occupation Journalist
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2020–present
GenreNews
Subscribers4.89 million [2]
Total views1.58billion [2]
YouTube Silver Play Button 2.svg100,000 subscribers2020
YouTube Gold Play Button 2.svg1,000,000 subscribers2021
Last updated: 15 July 2024

Imran Riaz Khan (Punjabi, Urdu: عمران ریاض خان born 14 August 1975, Faisalabad) [1] is a Pakistani journalist, anchor and YouTuber.

Contents

On 11 May 2023, Khan was reported to have been arrested by police while travelling in Pakistan. Media reports suggested that Imran's abduction may have been connected to him speaking out against the government and military. Given the context of enforced disappearances targeting critics, dissenters, and journalists in Pakistan, reports about Imran's situation raised concerns about his safety and well-being, including the possibility of mistreatment or even death as per reports. Human rights organisations such as Amnesty International requested for an urgent transparent and thorough investigation into his disappearance. [3] [4] [5]

Imran Riaz was recovered and reunited with his family in September 2023, after over four months of disappearance, and has since been rearrested on 23 February 2024.

Early life and education

He was born into a Punjabi-Kashmiri family on 14 August 1975 in Faisalabad, Punjab and after getting his early education at the Lahore Grammar School he studied mass communication at the Punjab University. [6]

Professional career

Khan in February 2023 Imran Riaz Khan - February 2023.jpg
Khan in February 2023

He started his career as a crime reporter for a local newspaper. [6]

Later, he became a news anchor on Express News channel. [7] As a current affairs host he has also worked with the television channels GNN [8] and Samaa TV. [9]

He started his YouTube channel "Imran Riaz Khan" in 2020, which as of October 2022 has more than 3.48 million subscribers. [10]

Arrests

First arrest

While entering Islamabad Toll Plaza on 5 July 2022, he was driving to the federal capital to get bail from the Islamabad High Court [11] and was arrested when Punjab Police surrounded his car before he could pass out of Punjab jurisdiction, [12] despite being aware of court orders by the Islamabad [13] and Lahore High Courts, [7] and issuances of protective pre-arrest bail grants, intended to avoid an arrest of the journalist. Riaz later uploaded a video on YouTube stating that if he is not released, he will release the names of everyone who is behind the alleged regime change operation in which foreign influence provoked a constitutional crisis, [14] ultimately ending with the PTI government of Imran Khan being ousted, when the former Prime Minister was removed from office in what he calls an "American conspiracy" against the sovereignty of Pakistan. [15]

A day before his arrest, Riaz was critical of the Shehbaz Sharif-led government and uploaded a video to YouTube, [16] in which Dawn News said Riaz "directly addressed Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and alleged that he was threatened after asking questions from military sources about the country's current political and economic situation." [17] Riaz also indicated that his family is the target of threats. [16]

Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan strongly protested the "arbitrary arrest" and called on the public as well as the media to "unite and stand up against this fascism." [18] Former official Asad Umar stated that PTI party workers will stage protests at press clubs throughout the country for what he said is an "attempt to suppress freedom of expression". [11] [13] [7] Immediately following the arrest, reports [11] showed a wide condemnation of the treatment and expressions of concern stemming from similar ideological grounds favoring free speech,[ citation needed ] including that of academic and activist Ammar Ali Jan, who warned of the irrationality in "clumsy" uses of force in a "battle of ideas." [11]

He was released on bail on 9 July 2022, by Lahore High Courts' Judge Justice Baqar Najafi. [19] His name was added to the Exit Control List by the FIA on the request of the police. [20]

Second arrest

He was arrested again on 2 February 2023 on charges of "hate speech" and making a "violence-inducing statement" aimed at creating "a rift between the general public and the state institutions". [21] and was released a week later. [22]

Third arrest, disappearance, and recovery

In the aftermath of the May 9 riots, he was arrested once again by Punjab Police on 11 May 2023 from Sialkot Airport. The police later stated that he was released from jail the same night despite a detention notice of 30-days. [23] After his release from jail, CCTV footage showed Riaz being abducted from outside the prison by 4–5 unidentified men who wore masks and forcibly put him inside a Toyota Vigo. [24]

The matter of his recovery is subjudice in a case filed at Lahore High Court (LHC). The Chief Justice of the LHC Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti heard the case. During a hearing on 22 May 2023, the police chief of Punjab, Usman Anwar appeared clueless about the missing journalists whereabouts and asked for more time from the court to locate him. [25] In another court hearing, Anwar said that no police station in Pakistan has Imran Riaz in their custody further stating that "No one has Imran Riaz (...) Imran Riaz Khan was not wanted by us. However, ‘agencies’ had asked for a police van. Why they had asked for a police van, [the court] can summon the agencies and ask." The agencies here being a euphemism for Pakistan's intelligence apparatus. [26]

On 27 May 2023, Daniel Bastard of the France-based global watchdog Reporters Without Borders said that it had received information from diplomatic sources that the missing journalist was tortured by in the custody of Pakistan's military intelligence agencies and may even have died in detention. [26]

On 30 May 2023, Usman Anwar claimed in court that Afghan SIMs were used by Imran Riaz's abductors and that the police was unable to trace them. [27] Anwar also informed the court that a special working group was established by Punjab Police to recover the missing journalist. [28]

On 25 September 2023, the Inspector General of Punjab Police Usman Anwar confirmed that Khan was now "safe at home" after having been missing for more than four months. [29] Khan had lost 22 kilograms (49 lb) weight during his disappearance and was struggling to speak coherently. [30]

Fourth arrest

In the early hours of 23 February 2024, in a raid on his residence, Imran was arrested for a fourth time by a contingent of Punjab Police. [31] He was arrested on allegations of corruption and sent on a 14-day judicial remand. He said that handcuffs were being slapped on his wrists in order to “pay salute to the queen” — an apparent reference to PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz. [32] He received bail and had started uploading videos on YouTube again. [33] [34]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shehbaz Sharif</span> 23rd and 24th Prime Minister of Pakistan since 2024

Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif is a Pakistani politician and businessman who is currently serving as the 24th prime minister of Pakistan since March 2024, having previously served in the post from April 2022 to August 2023. He has also served as the president of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N). Previously in his political career, he served as the chief minister of Punjab three times, making him the longest-serving chief minister of Punjab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rana Sanaullah</span> Pakistani politician (born 1955)

Rana Sanaullah Khan is a Pakistani lawyer and politician who is currently serving as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs since April 2024. Previously, he was served as the 39th Interior Minister of Pakistan. He had been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from August 2018 till August 2023. He is a senior member of PML-N and the President of PML-N in Punjab province since 4 May 2019. Before getting elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan, Sanaullah had been elected to the Provincial Assembly of Punjab five times and had served in high-ranking ministries of the province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maryam Nawaz</span> Pakistani politician (born 1973)

Maryam Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani politician, currently serving as the 20th Chief Minister of Punjab, in office since 26 February 2024. She is the daughter of former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif and her initial involvement in public life was through her family’s philanthropic organisations. However, her political career began in earnest in 2012 when she took charge of the election campaign for the 2013 general elections. Following the elections, she was appointed as the Chairperson of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme in 2013. Despite her active role, she resigned from the position in 2014 after her appointment was legally challenged in the Lahore High Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arshad Sharif</span> Pakistani journalist (1973–2022)

Arshad Sharif was a Pakistani journalist, writer, and news anchor. He specialized in investigative journalism and covered many political events in the country for national and international news organisations, including the United Kingdom. On 23 March 2019, he was awarded the Pride of Performance by the President of Pakistan Arif Alvi, for his contributions to journalism. He was shot and killed by police in Kenya on Oct. 22, 2022. A 592-page report by the Pakistani Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) revealed the killing to be a “planned targeted assassination," claiming that Kenyan police were "used as instruments." He was an outspoken critic of the Pakistani army.

Marriyum Aurangzeb is a Pakistani politician who currently serves as Senior Minister in the Government of Punjab, in office since March 2024.

Abdul Aleem Khan is a Pakistani politician and businessman from Lahore. Abdul Aleem Khan currently serves as a member of the National Assembly after being elected from Constituency NA 117, Shahdara Lahore in the general elections held on February 8th 2024. Abdul Aleem Khan owns Samaa TV and Vision Group. He was also the Senior Minister of Punjab and Minister of Food from 2020 to 2021. He also served as a member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab from August 2018 to 2021. He announced his separation from politics on Twitter in a tweet. Later in a statement to the media, he said that he had no intentions of joining politics again and that he would focus on the welfare work done through the Abdul Aleem Khan Foundation but soon after the economic crisis and instability in Pakistan, he decided to join politics again and launched the political party along with renowned politician Jahangir Khan Tareen named the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party in June 2023 to help the natio. He is a founding member and president of the party.

Sikandar Sultan Raja is a retired Pakistani civil servant who has been the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan since January 2020. Raja belongs to the Pakistan Administrative Service and is batchmates with Rizwan Ahmed, Hussain Asghar, Fawad Hasan Fawad and Jawad Rafique Malik.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fawad Chaudhry</span> Pakistani politician

Fawad Ahmed Hussain Chaudhry is a Pakistani politician who served as Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, in office since 14 April 2021 to 10 April 2022. On 24 May 2023 announced he is taking "break" from politics.

Hafeez Ullah Khan Niazi is a Pakistani television analyst and columnist who currently appears as an analyst on Report Card on Geo News.

Saad Hussain Rizvi is a Pakistani politician and the Second Ameer of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a far-right Pakistani Islamic extremist political party, succeeding his late father Khadim Hussain Rizvi, who founded it.

Ammar Ali Jan is a Pakistani historian, academic and political organizer. He is founder and general secretary of Haqooq-e-Khalq Party, also a member of Progressive International.

The 2022 Azadi March I was a protest march initiated by the ousted former Pakistani prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party chairman Imran Khan against the government of his successor, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. On 24 May 2022, Khan announced a long march towards Islamabad starting on 25 May 2022. Khan lead the march from Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where his provincial government helped him. Senior PTI members lead the march from Lahore, the capital of Punjab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Punjab provincial election</span> Provincial Election in Pakistan

Provincial elections were held in the Pakistani province of Punjab on 8 February 2024 to elect a new provincial legislature. On 5 August 2023, the results of the 2023 digital census were approved by the Council of Common Interests headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Therefore, elections have been delayed for several months, as new delimitations will be published on 14 December 2023, as announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). On 2 November 2023, the ECP announced, in agreement with the President of Pakistan, Arif Alvi, that the elections will be held on 8 February 2024. The election was held concurrently with nationwide general elections and other provincial elections.

Ali Bilal, popularly known as Zilleh Shah, a political worker of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and resident of Jahangir Town died on 8 March 2023 in Services Hospital shortly after being released from police custody. A post-mortem report confirmed the cause of death to be excessive bleeding due to severe torture with injuries on his genitals and skull, which were likely sustained while he was in custody.

On March 14, 2023, a wave of protests erupted after the Punjab Police attempted to arrest the former prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, nearly one year after his removal from office. The climax of a series of events — including, but not limited to, Khan being charged under anti-terror laws after accusing government officials of unlawfully torturing an aide, his removal from office, and an attempt on his life five months prior — the attempted arrest led to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party workers and supporters clashing with police outside Khan's residence in Lahore, despite the arrest being called off. The clashes, which persisted for several days, led to the arrests of party workers, supporters being suppressed with tear gas and water cannons, as well as 54 police officers being "seriously injured".

Usman Anwar is a Pakistani police officer who is Inspector General of the Punjab Police in the province of Punjab, Pakistan since 24 January 2023.

On 9 May 2023, former Pakistani Prime Minister and politician Imran Khan was arrested from inside the High Court in Islamabad by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the charges of corruption in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust, which he owns alongside his wife, Bushra Bibi.

The May 9 riots, also called the May 9 protests, and known as Black Day by the Pakistani government, were a series of violent riots that took place on 9 May 2023, in Pakistan. Following the arrest of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, from the grounds of the Islamabad High Court without an arrest warrant, nationwide demonstrations held by PTI's supporters descended into violent riots. Incidents of vandalism, looting, and arson resulted in Rs. 1.98 billion worth of damage inflicted to government and military facilities by PTI workers and members of the public. As the protests suddenly descended into violence and chaos and began attacking law enforcement officers, the government responded with a cellular service and internet blockade and a crackdown against PTI leaders, workers, and supporters, as well as those perceived to be allied to the party's cause within the media and legal fraternity. Trials of civilians within military courts were also initiated and are being challenged in the country's Supreme Court. The PTI alleges that the incidents of 9 May were a false flag operation designed by the military establishment to disintegrate the party and frame Imran Khan.

Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain, is a Pakistani jurist who is a District and Sessions Judge in the service of Islamabad Judicial Service.

On 18 March 2023, the Punjab Police raided the residence of the former Prime Minister Imran Khan in Zaman Park in Lahore, Pakistan. The law enforcement agencies made several attempts to arrest Khan in connection with the Toshkhana case. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) claimed that Imran Khan's residence in Zaman Park was under attack and released footage of armed law enforcement officials firing shots. The clash between PTI supporters and security forces continued for two days, during which police and Punjab Rangers repeatedly attempted to enter Imran Khan's residence with armored vehicles.

References

  1. 1 2 Bhutto, Salima (6 July 2022). "Who is Imran Riaz Khan and why was he arrested?". MMNews. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  2. 1 2 "About Imran Riaz Khan". YouTube.
  3. ↑ Bilal, Rana (26 May 2023). "LHC directs 'all agencies' to work together to find anchorperson Imran Riaz" . Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  4. ↑ "Pakistan: Journalists missing amidst PTI crackdown". 26 May 2023.
  5. ↑ "Pakistan: YouTuber & TV anchor, Imran Riaz Khan, forcibly disappeared". 26 May 2023.
  6. 1 2 Tariq, Aamir (25 May 2023). "Imran Riaz Khan | Family | Age | Father & Wife [Complete Biography]". Daily Pakistan . Archived from the original on 16 February 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 "ExpressNews anchor booked for sedition on gutka seller's complaint". The Express Tribune. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  8. ↑ "Clash with Imran Khan – GNN Shows". GNN – Pakistan's Largest News Portal. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  9. ↑ Khan, Imad. "On the Wrong Side of the Government, Pakistani Journalists Turn to YouTube". CNET.
  10. ↑ Gutelle, Sam (22 April 2022). "YouTube and TikTok are changing the political landscape in Pakistan and Afghanistan". Tubefilter .
  11. 1 2 3 4 Asghar, Imran (6 July 2022). "Senior journalist Imran Riaz Khan arrested from Islamabad Toll Plaza". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  12. ↑ "Anchorperson arrested in Attock". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  13. 1 2 "Pakistan police arrest TV journalist on outskirts of capital". The Associated Press. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  14. ↑ "ISPR, other state institutions endorsed NSC's decision, says Qasim Suri". The International News. 9 April 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  15. ↑ Goldbaum, Christina; Masood, Salman (2 April 2022). "Claiming No-Confidence Vote Is Compromised, Imran Khan Says He Won't Accept Result". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  16. 1 2 Journalist Imran Riaz Khan's talk with COAS Bajwa | Who Threatening his Family? , retrieved 6 July 2022
  17. ↑ Bilal, Rana (5 July 2022). "Journalist Imran Riaz Khan arrested near Islamabad". The Dawn. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  18. ↑ Desk, Web (6 July 2022). "Imran Khan asks people to protest against Imran Riaz's arrest". ARY NEWS.
  19. ↑ Hussain, Shahid (9 July 2022). "Imran Riaz Khan gets bail in Chakwal case". The International News. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  20. ↑ "Journalist Imran Riaz offloaded from Dubai-bound flight". The Express Tribune. 15 July 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  21. ↑ "Anchorperson Imran Riaz detained in Lahore: lawyer". DAWN. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  22. ↑ Bilal, Rana (3 February 2023). "Lahore court orders release of TV anchor Imran Riaz Khan". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  23. ↑ "LHC seeks CCTV footage of anchorperson's release from jail". The Express Tribune. 13 May 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  24. ↑ Bilal, Rana (16 May 2023). "FIR of anchorperson Imran Riaz's 'illegal abduction' registered". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  25. ↑ "Court vows to 'spare no one' if harm comes to Imran Riaz". The Express Tribune. 22 May 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  26. 1 2 "Where is the Pakistani TV anchor who has been missing for 12 days? | RSF". rsf.org. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  27. ↑ Bilal, Rana (30 May 2023). "Afghan phone numbers involved in Imran Riaz case, Punjab IG tells LHC". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  28. ↑ Bilal, Rana (6 June 2023). "Lawyer says patience wearing thin as Punjab govt assures efforts under way to find Imran Riaz". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  29. ↑ "TV anchor Imran Riaz Khan 'safe at home' after being missing for over 4 months". DAWN. 25 September 2023.
  30. ↑ "Journalist explains health condition of Imran Riaz Khan". Global Village Space. 26 September 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  31. ↑ Bhatti, Fahad (23 February 2024). "Anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan arrested from residence". Samaa News.
  32. ↑ Bilal, Rana (23 February 2024). "Anchorperson Imran Riaz sent to jail in corruption case following late-night arrest". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  33. ↑ Staff, Web Desk (9 March 2024). "Imran Riaz Khan secures bail in Zaman Park attack case". Pakistan Observer. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  34. ↑ Big Relief for Qaidi No 804 | Imran Riaz Khan's First VLOG after Arrest | Latest Updates , retrieved 21 March 2024
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.